A universal integrated circuit card (UICC) is a smart card inserted into a mobile communication terminal, which stores personal information such as network access authentication information, a phone book, and a short message service (SMS) of a mobile communication subscriber and perform functions of authenticating a user and generating a traffic security key when the user accesses a mobile communication network such as global system for mobile communications (GSM), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), or long term evolution (LTE), thereby allowing the user to use stable mobile communication. The UICC has a communication application such as a subscriber identification module (SIM), a universal SIM (USIM), or an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia SIM (ISIM) according to the type of a mobile communication network which the user accesses, and also provides a high level security function to have various applications such as an electronic wallet, ticketing, and an electronic passport.
The UICC of the related art is manufactured as a dedicated card for a particular mobile network operator by a request from the corresponding mobile network operator when the card is manufactured, and the card is released after authentication information (for example, a USIM application and an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) or K value) for the access to the network by the corresponding service provider is inserted into the card. Accordingly, the manufactured UICC is received by the corresponding mobile network operator and then provided to a user. Then, an application within the UICC is managed, for example, installed, modified, and removed using an over the air (OTA) technology as needed. The user can use a network and application service of the corresponding mobile network operator by inserting the UICC into a mobile communication terminal of the user. Further, if the user changes the terminal, the user can continue to use authentication information, mobile communication phone numbers, and a personal phone book through a new terminal by inserting the UICC of the terminal of the related art into the new terminal.
Meanwhile, a physical shape and a logical function of the UICC are defined by a standardization organization such as a European telecommunications standards institute (ETSI), and thus international compatibility thereof is maintained. In an aspect of a form factor defining a physical form, the sizes of the mini SIM, which is most widely used, the micro SIM, which has started being used a few years ago, and the nano SIM, which is recently used, are sequentially and gradually reduced. Accordingly, it has significantly contributed to the small size of the mobile communication terminal. However, it is difficult to expect the standardization of the UICC card, which is smaller than the recently manufactured nano SIM, due to the loss of the UICC card. Further, since the UICC card requires a space to install a removable slot in the terminal on characteristic thereof, the smaller size thereof is expected to be difficult.
Further, the removable UICC is not suitable for machine-to-machine (M2M) devices such as intelligent home appliances, electric/water meters, and closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, which require access to a mobile communication data network without any direct control by a person in various installation environments.
In order to address the above problems, a method of replacing the UICC with a security module, which performs a similar function to that of the UICC, may be considered. An embedded UICC (eUICC) may refer to a UICC, which can be downloaded and installed a subscriber identification and encryption key according to each communication service company. The security module may be installed within the terminal when the terminal is manufactured in such a manner that the security module cannot be attached to/detached from the inside of the terminal. In this case, unless the terminal is manufactured as a terminal dedicated for a particular mobile network operator, the terminal cannot have in advance network access authentication information of the particular mobile network operator such as IMSI and K of the USIM when the terminal is manufactured, and the user who purchases the corresponding terminal can configure the authentication information after the user subscribes to the particular mobile network operator.
Further, unlike the UICCs of the related art, which have been manufactured and distributed only for the particular mobile network operator, the eUICC can stably and flexibly install and manage authentication information of various mobile network operators after the user who purchases the corresponding terminal subscribes to and abandons the subscription to the particular mobile network operator or changes the subscription to the particular mobile network operator to another mobile network operator.
More specifically, a mobile network operator information technology (IT) system of the related art processes only mobile communication opening using the UICC. Accordingly, in order to process opening of the new terminal equipped with the eUICC, it is required to change a mobile network operator IT system interface.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.